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Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein level during pregnancy and isolated cryptorchidism in male offspring.
- Source :
-
American journal of epidemiology [Am J Epidemiol] 2006 Sep 01; Vol. 164 (5), pp. 478-86. Date of Electronic Publication: 2006 Jun 21. - Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- Cryptorchidism is thought to result from a disruption of the androgen-estrogen balance in utero. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) interacts with and may modulate fetal responses to estrogens. Using a cohort of boys born to women participating in a Danish maternal serum AFP screening program between 1980 and 1994, the authors explored whether AFP levels (as reflected by maternal serum AFP levels in gestational weeks 14-22) were associated with the risk of isolated cryptorchidism in male offspring. Cryptorchidism diagnoses and covariate information were obtained from Denmark's national health registries. Risk ratios for cryptorchidism by maternal serum AFP multiples of the median were estimated by use of log-linear binomial regression. Of 25,418 boys, 663 (2.6%) were diagnosed with cryptorchidism. After adjustment for confounders, boys with maternal serum AFP levels greater than or equal to 2.5 times the median had a 63% (95% confidence interval: -2, 172) greater risk of cryptorchidism than did boys with maternal serum AFP levels within 25% of the median. High fetal AFP levels may contribute directly to events producing cryptorchidism; alternatively, elevated maternal serum AFP levels may reflect placental dysfunction, some aspect of which contributes to cryptorchidism.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Cohort Studies
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Male
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications epidemiology
Pregnancy Outcome epidemiology
Pregnancy Trimester, Second
Risk Factors
Cryptorchidism epidemiology
Cryptorchidism physiopathology
Pregnancy Complications blood
alpha-Fetoproteins analysis
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0002-9262
- Volume :
- 164
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 16790515
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwj219